The 24th meeting of the Madhya Kshetriya Parishad (Central Regional Council) was held in Narendra Nagar, Uttarakhand under the chairmanship of Union Home and Cooperatives Minister Amit Shah.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took part virtually.
Union Home and Cooperatives Minister Shah told the Chief Ministers of 4 states that the meeting of the Central Regional Council is important because Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are different from other states in many ways. These states contribute significantly to the life and economy of the country. The central region also contributes significantly to the country’s GDP through activities like agriculture and animal husbandry.
Union Minister Shah said that efforts are being made to provide respect and facilities to Matri-shakti in the country. Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023 will increase women’s participation in policy and law making. A new era of inclusive governance has begun. With the provision of reservation for one-third seats in the Parliament and Legislative Assembly, an environment of women empowerment is being created in the states also.
Union Home Minister Shah said that the National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has made a provision for purchasing maize from farmers at minimum support price in all maize producing states. The prosperity of farmers will be ensured. For this, registration can be done on the portal. The Standing Committee of the Council has worked on priority for works like promotion of organic fuel in the country, export of pulses and oilseeds, financial inclusion, resolution of inter-state water issues etc. Efforts have been increased in the field of malnutrition eradication, agriculture and cooperation. It is an effort to provide banking facilities in every village of the country in the coming year.
Shah said that the Central Regional Council has been identified as a meaningful platform. In the last 9 years, more meetings of the Council have been held than in the period from 2004 to 2014. While only 14 meetings of the Standing Committee of the Council were held between 2004 and 2014, the Standing Committee of the Central Regional Council held 29 meetings in 9 years from 2014 to 2023, which is more than double. The last 9 years have been years full of achievements in resolving various issues. While in the previous decade (2004 to 2014) action to resolve was taken on 448 issues, in the 9 year period from 2014 till now, 1157 issues have been settled.
The Council also passed a felicitation proposal in the meeting. Referring to this, Union Home and Cooperatives Shah said that India has recently played a commendable role in various fields, while it has won hundreds of medals in the Asian Games, G-20 meetings and events have also been successful. Not only this, India’s Chandrayaan is an important achievement for the country reaching the Moon. All this work is commendable. In the 24th meeting of the Central Regional Council, this proposal was agreed upon and welcomed with thunderous applause by all the Chief Ministers and members.
The Chief Minister said that the federal structure has been strengthened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Council plays an important role in this. The Council is working to fulfill the resolutions of the Prime Minister. This is giving strength to cooperative federalism. The Prime Minister has paid special attention to strengthening the states. Therefore, institutional measures like NITI Aayog, Mukhyamantri Parishad and Central Regional Council have been taken. The roadmap for building Atmanirbhar Madhya Pradesh on the lines of Atmanirbhar Bharat was first made in Madhya Pradesh. This was also implemented. The state and the center are working together like Team India. Madhya Pradesh has effectively implemented the decisions of the last meeting of the Council. This meeting has proved useful from the point of view of Centre, State relations and inter-state relations.
Chouhan said that the Central Regional Council works as a bridge. The Council is a powerful platform for sharing experiences. Solutions to complex issues are achieved under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Shah. The Council has worked in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution.
Chouhan said that the continuity and usefulness of the council meetings has been seen. There may be some difference in the working style and ideological level of the states but their dreams cannot be different. Better work has been done in many areas in Madhya Pradesh and the state ranks first in the country in the implementation of many schemes. Ken-Betwa Link Project is a boon for Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Chief Minister Chouhan thanked the Council for the initiative taken to resolve issues.